October 2012

Alberta

By Jennifer N. Dienst, Contributing Editor

True inspiration, true adventure

Alberta is one of the most beautiful and diverse places on earth - a truly inspiring destination for the truly adventurous. Framed by the magnificent Rocky Mountains to the west, the expansive prairies and badlands to the east, and two cosmopolitan cities in between, the destination is filled with unique adventures and experiences that incentive groups won't find anywhere else in the world.

With two easily accessible international airports and no provincial sales tax, Alberta is also a destination meeting planners can feel smart about choosing for their incentive meetings and events. If it's a city experience groups seek, Alberta's gateway cities, Calgary and Edmonton, have their own unique spirit but offer the same friendly Western hospitality. In Calgary, groups can don a cowboy hat and whoop it up at the world-famous Calgary Stampede, or take a drive to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, just an hour away. Groups who love to indulge in retail therapy can shop till they drop at North America's largest shopping and entertainment complex in Edmonton, which also hosts 30-plus festivals a year, including the second-largest Fringe Festival in the world.

If groups are itching for an experience that's a little more remote, what's more enticing than getting cozy in the rustic mountain lodges and full-service luxury resorts of world-famous Banff and Jasper National Parks? Whether a group has a yen for spa, golf, skiing, or another activity, the resorts' amenities are top-notch and world-renowned. And so are the views. No visitor should leave Banff National Park without standing on the shoulder of Sulphur Mountain and soaking up the 360-degree, bird's-eye view of six mountain ranges. Those looking for a view with more speed can try a black-diamond run at one of four ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies, or feel the wind in their face as they mush a dogsled across a frozen mountain lake.
For more information: Travel Alberta, Brian Slot, Director, Meetings, Conventions, & Incentive Travel - (403) 648-1080; Brian.Slot@TravelAlberta.com;travelalberta.com/meetings